Dark circles, be gone!

March 11, 2009 4:52 PM

I have dark circles (think that's the right term) - and constantly look tired / out of it. It's affecting the way clients perceive me, which is important... help?!

About me: 27, male, teacher, wear contacts or glasses depending on mood, quirky and unchangeable schedule, and dark circles under my eyes. I would put a picture out there but am feeling too self-conscious about it right now. The rest of me is your typical white all-American with a winning personality :)

So I need something which either A: makes dark circles goes away that works and doesn't break the bank, or B: makes them less important. A cream or serum you've used that works or A good home remedy wins many karma points - and I'm not opposed to wearing makeup. It's that important.

posted by chrisinseoul to health & fitness (32 comments total)

If you're cool with makeup, a yellow or peachy concealer will help to cover up dark circles on Caucasian skin.

Are you getting enough vitamins, by the way? I'm assuming your dark circles *aren't* due to lack of sleep.
posted by katillathehun at 4:58 PM on March 11

Oh, and I should have mentioned that you can find concealer meant for covering up dark circles anywhere. I believe I recently saw some for about $10 at CVS.
posted by katillathehun at 5:00 PM on March 11

I've actually found that "Vitamin K"serum from the drugstore works pretty well. I started keeping it in the fridge and applying it cold after reading that tip about eyecream somewhere and it works even better. Also, actually consuming Vitamin K in your diet is supposed to help.

This is the one I use.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:01 PM on March 11

Go see an allergist. Persistent dark circles are often "allergic shiners" and are caused by sinus pressure. (I know whereof I speak.)
posted by desuetude at 5:02 PM on March 11

Sometimes very pale people just have dark circles. I always do, no matter what product I use, no matter how much makeup I put on, no matter how much sleep I get. I also take a plethora of anti-allergy medication, including shots. It's genetic in my case.

There's certainly nothing wrong with trying stuff, though. Good luck!
posted by cooker girl at 5:18 PM on March 11 [2 favorites has favorites]

Fellow sufferer here. I've tried the vit K with not so great results. You should eat properly and get enough sleep, but my understanding is it is pretty much genetic.

I recommend going to your favorite make-up counter (at least one) and having them recommend a concealer and show you how to apply it.
posted by cestmoi15 at 5:20 PM on March 11

If you're not used to wearing makeup, you may want to start with MAC.
posted by cestmoi15 at 5:22 PM on March 11

My old question on the subject. I had some success with lifestyle changes, but I still often wear my trusted almay amazing lasting concealer.
posted by melissam at 5:24 PM on March 11

I was born with dark circles. Things that have worked to make mine appear less prominent are:

-Garnier Nutritionist eyecream
-Avoiding dark-coloured clothing near my face
-Drinking plenty of water so that skin in general looks plump and healthy
-(slightly odd but really works) - cold grated potato wrapped in a clean handkerchief and placed over the eyes for half an hour
-Loosening the strap on my swimming goggles to reduce pressure on the under-eye area
-Gently patting the area round my eyes after putting in contact lenses - this reduces any morning puffiness which can make the circles look more pronounced
posted by girlgenius at 5:26 PM on March 11

I had the chance to ask a cosmetic surgeon (specializing in eyes) about mine and she said they were genetic, just extra melanin under the skin and there was nothing to be done. That was not what I wanted to hear.

I've heard about alergies, lack of water, lack of sleep. Some of these affect the puffiness but none seem to impact the coloration under my eyes.
posted by trinity8-director at 5:26 PM on March 11

I watched a British tv special on this specific issue recently (uh... I was on a plane), and they tested 4 creams at different price points from drugstore level to $150+/bottle and none of them worked for the groups of 25 women who used them.

The end of the show was the host talking about how you have to either cover with concealer or (preferably) learn to consider your circles sexy a la Sofia Loren. I know you're a dude, so she's probably not your icon, but George Clooney also does ok with some pretty severe circlage.

Some people just have them no matter how much water they drink or sleep they get. Embrace it and move on.

OR- get glasses with thick rims that hide or draw attention away from the circles.
posted by rmless at 5:32 PM on March 11 [2 favorites has favorites]

I find that caffeine can do this to me, but god forbid I give up coffee. Concealer it is.
posted by frecklefaerie at 5:32 PM on March 11

Dark circles under my eyes is what made me stop wearing contact lenses.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:36 PM on March 11

If you live near a big department store like Macy's or Nordstrom, I would suggest going in and asking for samples at a couple of makeup counters.

Clinique's All About Eyes is brilliant for depuffing, and according to them, is also good for under eye circles.

Follow with their All About Eyes concealer , and you should see some improvement.

Benefit also makes a pocket-size concealer kit that you may find useful.

your best bet will definitely be to go into a store and get some samples to bring home and use for a few days. That way you can tell what will really work for you.
posted by nerdcore at 5:48 PM on March 11

Use a self-tanner on your face, it'll make your dark circles less pronounced. I like the Jergens Natural Glow for Face, they have several shades so you should be able to find something that'll give you just the right amount of color.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:55 PM on March 11 [1 favorite has favorites]

I also suggest to embrace them.

You're probably not going to find a good cosmetic corrector at your local drugstore. You must look for a peach or salmon toned concealer to counteract the gray-blue/purplish of dark circles. The only one I've seen in a discount store is at Target. Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette contains a peach concealer shade that will conceal circles.

If you add a yellow or flesh colored concealer that are sold in drug stores, you'll just have a greenish muddy mess on your hands. They do nothing to conceal or counteract the circles like a salmon colored concealer does. Don't be alarmed by the peach color, it will blend and cover.

Other peach or salmon concealers:

Paula Dorf Special Camouflage. NOT Paula Dorf "Total Camouflage"

Eve Pearl salmon concealer

Bobbi Brown correcter

and perhaps the MAC concealers in the NW shades.

If you find that your concealer is cakey, smooth on the tiniest amount of moisturizer. Tap on concealer in affected area, and keep lightly tapping with your ring finger (weakest finger) until it is blended. Don't rub, or you'll just spread the concealer around and right off the area you want to cover. If your skin is oily, you should set it with a bit of translucent powder or the concealer will melt right off.

Men can wear makeup and if you get the right product, blend well, and only apply wear you need it, it could be inconspicuous.

Good luck.
posted by Fairchild at 5:59 PM on March 11

I have the same issue, and have heard and read all the theories: sleep deprivation, vitamin deficiency, allergies, and genes. I have no idea if it's one or all of these, and maybe it varies by person. Maybe use it as an excuse to get more sleep, eat more fruits and vegetables, drink enough water, and start using eye cream. I've tried a bunch; the one I was using when someone said my circles had disappeared was Origins Eye Doctor. Report back if you find the magic cure!
posted by JenMarie at 6:07 PM on March 11

Look for the Garnier Anti-Puff eye serum. It's about $10 for a roller. It made my undereye circles a lot better. I was using it morning and night, but I've since moved on to the hard stuff, and use Clarins dark circle eye gel ($$) in the morning and the garnier at night. My dark circles won't completely go away -- they're partly genetic -- but I've had people tell me that they can see a difference since I started using this stuff.
posted by sugarfish at 6:21 PM on March 11

A concealer with pink/peach undertones will work. Match it to your skin tone though, or you'll end up looking like you're wearing pink warpaint.

The best way to apply concealer (taught to me by a professional make up artist): Dot the concealer under your eyes. It'll sort of look like you have "concealer pox" (illustration). Rub the dots in using your RING FINGER. This is important. It's your weakest finger, so it will spread the concealer lightly on your skin without dragging it all over.

Fin.

I'm loyal to L'Oreal in all make-up arenas (arenae?), which is cheaper than MAC and found in drugstores. It is the only drugstore brand I would recommend.

Also: Use a good moisturizer every morning. Find something with at least SPF 15. Most moisturizers made for ladies smell really froo-froo, so I'd recommend something manly. I hear Nivea makes a skin care line specifically for men, and their products are generally really good.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 6:27 PM on March 11 [1 favorite has favorites]

I have dark, hereditary undereye circles. Mine are purplish, so I use this yellow color correcting cream.
posted by peep at 6:29 PM on March 11

Some good suggestions above for the circles, but I'm more interested in your comment that you "...constantly look tired / out of it." Do you mean your eyes look glassy and you look worn out whether you've really done anything to be worn out or not? There's a few possibilities to consider:

1) Allergies. Get some allergy-relief eye drops. Not just regular get-the-red-out basic drops, but specific drops for allergy relief. When you feel "the look" has come on - drop a couple of drops in each eye. See how you look in a half hour or so.

2) Medications. Certain prescription drugs can bring on this hazy look after long-term use. Benzos are especially notorious for causing this (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc.).

3) Lifestyle. You see this complaint more from those who have less activity in their daily lives. Do you exercise regularly? Eat right? Generally take care of yourself?

The circles and "the look" may be connected - and they may not be. One or the other can be bad enough on the psyche, but when combined, it can produce a lack of confidence that only makes the problem worse. I sense a certain anxiety about this from your post that makes me wonder if it's more than just a cosmetic thing and if concealing the circles alone will do the trick.

Good luck!
posted by Gerard Sorme at 8:19 PM on March 11

Try YSL Touche Eclat--it makes an amazing difference, is very subtle, and in my (formerly becircled) experience is worth every penny.
posted by Lycaste at 8:21 PM on March 11

I have very pale skin and MAC doesn't make anything light enough for my skin tone. If you're pale-skinned, go with Bobbi Brown as suggested above, and do get them to match it for you and show you how to put it on (Bobbi Brown is the only brand I've ever found with extremely light concealer or foundation). I use a pink-toned pencil (something random from Sephora) underneath the concealer. Bobbi Brown is not cheap, but as a guy you want to be as inconspicuous as possible with the makeup. Don't go cheap. Don't go to Walgreen's or Target. And don't feel weird about going to the makeup counter; odds are decent that the makeup expert will be a guy anyway.

If your skin isn't terribly light any of the better department store brands should have an under-eye concealer that would work.
posted by tejolote at 10:44 PM on March 11

By "clients" do you mean Korean students? If so, try not to be so self-conscious about it. Commenting about your appearance is what Koreans do. If it wasn't the bags under your eyes, it would be something else, most likely.
posted by smorange at 12:27 AM on March 12

Strangely I get sunken eyes when I get too much sleep rather than too little. For me the puffy eyes and dark circles go together. Some good moisturizing lotion or the old Preparation-H trick takes care of both. (That, and getting rid of the blackout curtains.)
posted by Ookseer at 2:21 AM on March 12

From the dark-circled OP:

By clients, yes, I mean adult Korean students in a professional setting. They pay some coin, it's a great networking opportunity, that whole 'best foot forward' thing. Perhaps I'm being too picky / vain of myself, but it's worth experimenting with some different things. Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll be trying several of them!
posted by chrisinseoul at 6:46 AM on March 12

I've often heard of vitamins and other supplements (K, B, magnesium - as recommended by previous posters) helping some people, but what made a huge difference for me (who for a long time wrote the problem off as genetic, as I share it with my mother), was dropping nearly all dairy from my diet.

My reasons were related to my vegetarianism, so the effect was a big surprise. Later on I've heard of other pepole who have had a similar experience, sometimes with other, allergen-related dietary changes (glutein etc.).
posted by sively at 8:52 AM on March 12

OR- get glasses with thick rims that hide or draw attention away from the circles.

They don't have to be thick. The rims just have to be dark. I have the same problem and, on the very rare occasion that I don't have my dark-rimmed glasses on, everyone says "you look so tired!". Otherwise, nobody notices.
posted by originalname37 at 9:23 AM on March 12

Face Stockholm's Magic Wand works wonders. It's incredibly light, you can't tell you're wearing it, and it's amazing. It doesn't feel like concealer (I've tried them all) and it's nothing less than a miracle worker. You can get it at Sephora.com for about $45.
posted by mdiskin at 8:35 PM on March 12

I'm not affiliated at all with the company, but for my money the Mary Kay brand of concealers is amazing. It's industrial strength - the tiniest bit really hides dark circles and lasts all day and all night. I apply mine with a wee eyeliner brush to "stipple" it in, and I'm set.

If you go to www.marykay.com, you can do a search for a consultant in your ZIP Code.
posted by plinsky at 12:55 PM on March 13

Once again, thanks for all your suggestions. For now, I'm adding a resolved tag for now :)

I've begun wearing some glasses with black frames, and I've admitted to myself that I might have been overblowing things a bit. I'll see if I can find any of the recommendations here in Seoul. Thanks again guys!
posted by chrisinseoul at 5:38 AM on March 15

Chris - if you're still in Seoul, I know a great great dermatologist who might be able to help you.

He's at BnCskin. http://www.bncskin.com/ His english is excellent. Kim Sang Deok. THey have a clinic near hongdae.

I had really bad dark circles, (ended up being melasma) and a few treatments with a bleaching agent got rid of them.
posted by carolekorea at 3:05 AM on March 16